"Thought Dogs Are Colourblind": Worker in Court For Training Dog to Attack Based on Race

• The Labour Court set aside a CCMA award that ordered the reinstatement of an employee at Full Circle Contact Centre Services (Pty) Ltd, trading as Capita South Africa, who was dismissed for racist conduct
• A former team leader, Shaun Williamson, trained a dog to attack a certain race of people, which led to his dismissal when he shared the information at work
• South Africans reacted with a mix of disbelief and dark humour after the story went viral online

A South African employee who trained a dog to bite black people has lost a court battle after the Labour Court stepped in to overturn a ruling that would have seen the worker reinstated. The man named his dog "Hitler" and admitted that he found it funny when the dog chased a black child down the street. His workers reported him at work after various racially charged incidents.

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) had initially issued an award ordering the employer to reinstate the worker following their dismissal for racist conduct. The Labour Court, however, reviewed and set aside that award, confirming that the dismissal stood.

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Court Overturns CCMA Reinstatement Order

The case, reported by POST Newspaper on 15 July 2026, drew widespread attention online after it was shared on social media. The nature of the misconduct, deliberately conditioning an animal to target people based on race, struck many South Africans as deeply disturbing and prompted strong reactions across the board. The Labour Court's decision to review and set aside the CCMA award signals that such behaviour carries serious consequences in the workplace, regardless of any initial arbitration outcome.

According to Rescued by Training, experts in animal behaviour suggest that while dogs are unable to understand the concepts of race and racism, they can be socialised to behave aggressively toward people with specific physical features. These features can include dark skin, light skin, a particular hair colour, or even clothing like a hat or jacket.

Mzansi reacts with dark humour

South Africans in the comments had plenty to say about the story:

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@Deliwe Nyati said:

"The dog is black too, so it must bite itself too 🤣"

@Kagiso Mathebula wrote:

"I don't see a problem here 🤣 My dogs are trained to attack anything that wears a hat or a mask 🤣"

@Sharmlan Reddy asked:

"How do they know? Did someone question the dog? I'm not condoning this, but I have so many questions."

@Isa Phillips questioned:

"How do you train a dog to see race? Aren't dogs colourblind?"

Other Briefly News stories about animals

• A viral video captured a Johannesburg sanitation worker's humorous standoff with a determined dog over a rubbish bag.
• Things took a turn between a man and his dog when the pet attempted to attack after a warm embrace.
• A Malawian man who refused to leave South Africa without his beloved dog as he faced repatriation captured the hearts of many.

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Joburg sanitation worker's tug-of-war with playful dog has Mzansi in stitches

Source: Briefly News